COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two weeks after signing House Bill 250 calling for public schools to restrict cellphone use during learning hours, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and his administration have released new recommendations for how districts across the state can implement such policies.
Crafted with the aid of the governor, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, and Director of Education and Workforce Stephen D. Dackin, the "model policy" offers guidance on what rules schools could put in place as well as suggestions on how to enforce those rules. Specifically, officials are calling for students to be prohibited from using cellphones "at all times" during school hours, with exceptions made for those with health concerns or those using them for specific learning programs.
"By removing the distraction of cellphones from classrooms, our school children will be free to flourish and will see improved academic engagement and social interaction," DeWine said in a statement. "Schools that implement this model policy will quickly see positive results by giving children a break from the nonstop notifications that have proven to be harmful to student performance and mental health."
Passed unanimously by the General Assembly, House Bill 250 calls for all districts to craft policies focused on limiting cellphone use in their buildings. However, those districts are free to develop their own rules provided they meet the minimum requirements outlined by the legislation, so they do not necessarily have to adopt the administration's model policy.
Husted wrote:
"The feedback from school administrators, students, and parents that I have spoken with as I have toured the state hosting roundtables on this topic has been unanimous. You improve student academic performance and reduce bullying and disciplinary issues when you get phones out of the classroom. It's important that students are focused on their lessons rather than 'likes' and giving them a few hours out of the day without their phones will minimize their time on social media apps and algorithms that are addicting and harming them. Hopefully, this model policy will provide valuable guidance for our school districts."
Ohio is one of several states either considering or to have enacted cellphone restrictions in schools. Experts have cited the negative effects the devices can have on students' ability to learn, and officials have noted they can actually pose a danger during emergency situations.
"While the cellphone meets the emotional security needs of a parent, it can make their child actually less safe in the moment of an incident, because they're paying attention to the phone, they're responding," national school safety expert Ken Trump told 3News' Maureen Kyle earlier this month. "They're sending messages, possibly even live streaming it. They're not listening to the adults who should be trained to give them directions."
According to HB 250, schools do not have to outright ban cellphone, but "any district board that adopts a policy that prohibits all cellular telephone use by students shall be considered to have met the requirements" of the law. The DEW has also released a toolkit offering support for teachers and parents.
You can read the state's model policy below: